Drivers’ ChoiceOptions to manage gridlock and fund rapid transit in the GTA: Public opinion survey and policy options

This report investigates a variety of policy options designed to reduce the growing rate of congestion in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and/or to help finance construction of rapid transit in the region.

It presents the results of an Environics Research Group online poll on drivers in the GTA whose commute behind the wheel was at least 30 minutes one way. The objective of the survey was to better understand drivers’ preferences for a variety of commuting policy options — both incentives to reward and provide alternatives to single-occupant driving as well as pricing policies to raise revenue for transit infrastructure and potentially discourage single-occupant driving. The survey also explored options to make implementation fair and more acceptable.

In addition, this report unpacks some of the policy options that are explored in the survey to understand how they have been introduced in other jurisdictions and what the results have been, including some implementation challenges and opportunities.